Basic Difference of MDF & Particle Board

Did you know Basic Difference of MDF & Particle Board? MDF is short for medium density fiberboard. MDF and particleboard are two forms of inexpensive wood-based sheet goods used by home and furniture builders, sometimes as substitutes for plywood.

 

Construction

Very fine particle waste wood products, much more like layers of paper than wood, make MDF. Particleboard comes from very coarse sawdust mixed with special glues.

 

Water-Resistance

MDF is reasonably water-resistant, although you do not want to expose it to water if you can avoid it. Particleboard will soak up water easily, lose its stability and can fall apart.

 

Appearance

MDF has a very smooth texture and does not need edge banding; it also takes finishes well. Particleboard simply does not look good---any exposed edges will need to be finished, as will its flat surfaces.

 

Building Use

Did you Know Basic Difference of MDF & Particle Board? MDF is often used for built-ins. Particleboard is best used for under-flooring. Either material can become shelving and some types of furniture.

 

Warnings

Neither MDF nor particleboard is solid wood, so neither is as strong nor holds screws as well as solid wood. Some applications require special fasteners to use with these products. If you build with either material, use recommended glues in addition to any fasteners.

Particleboard

Lets take a look at particleboard. Most lumberyards and home centers carry at least two kinds: Floor Underlayment and Industrial.

Floor underlayment, as its name implies, is used under carpeting or tile. It consists of a single layer of coarse wood particles that are coated with glue and pressed into sheets.

But the large size of the particles creates a rough texture on the surface. So this type of particleboard doesn't sand or machine well. Nevertheless, it's inexpensive. And it's heavy (a full sheet weights 94 pounds). Because of this, I occasionally use it in projects like a tool stand to help dampen vibration.

If you're building a cabinet or piece of furniture, you'll get better results using an industrial grade of particleboard. It has a core layer of coarse wood particles that's reinforced by two outer layers of finer particles. The high density of fine particles in the outside layers increases the overall strength of the particleboard. And it creates a smooth, uniform surface that's ideal for applying wood veneer or plastic laminate.

While you can apply these materials yourself, many home centers offer particleboard with a number of different surface treatments already applied. For example, it's available with both melamine (a thin layer of plastic on each side) and wood veneer.

Besides a smooth surface, particleboard is also very stable -- there's almost no movement with changes in humidity.

Regardless of the product or the grade, it's best to use a carbide-tipped saw blade or router bit when working with particleboard. Because of its high glue content, even a good quality steel blade or bit will dull quickly.

Another thing to consider when working with particleboard is how to join the pieces together. To maintain its strength, avoid using joints that require cutting into the outside layers of the particleboard.

For example, a butt joint held together with biscuits produces a strong joint. Or simply glue and screw two pieces together. I've found that a screw with a straight shank and deep threads (like a drywall screw) isn't as likely to pull out as a standard wood screw.

TIP: To improve screw-holding strength even more, use a longer screw instead of one with a larger diameter.